World renowned for research into technology and innovation as well as their keen interest in
military fabrics, C.P. Company have adopted world’s leading natural fiber performance fabric,
the British Ventile®, on two iconic C.P. Company jackets: The Explorer and La Mille Jacket. Ventile®
was created to save the lives of Air Force personnel flying over the Atlantic in wartime England.
Pilots needed a garment that was cool and comfortable in the cockpit, but warm and impenetrable
in case of contact with water.
First truly effective all-weather fabric, Ventile® is still perhaps the best compromise between
breathability and waterproofing. The principle behind Ventile is paradoxically simple and also very
complex. The process involves weaving together as many loosely twisted fibres as possible which
when damp will swell up to seal the fabric. This becomes complicated due to the long fibre cotton
that requires little twisting being very expensive and since the fabric is naturally waterproof it also
requires special dyeing techniques.
Once they are wet, the woven cotton fibers in ventile fabric naturally ‘swells up’ to prevent the
passage of water in a way that no other man-made water resistant material can. Whilst remaining
just as breathable as any cotton jacket would. Whilst it’s lack of any PTFE membrane makes Ventile
the perfect ecological choice.